


The Strangers in the Ice

by FantasticalNonsense



Series: Avatar Katara (ATLA Element Swap AU) [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Developing Friendships, First Meetings, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, and, fair warning, largely involving air bison, questionable taste in Water Tribe dishes, things will be angstier than in-canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:49:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23919997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FantasticalNonsense/pseuds/FantasticalNonsense
Summary: 99 AG, late fall. While out fishing, budding Water Tribe warrior Aang finds and frees two teenagers stuck in the ice. This decision ends up changing the course of his, and the world's, destiny.
Relationships: Aang & Kanna (Avatar), Aang & Katara (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar)
Series: Avatar Katara (ATLA Element Swap AU) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718407
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	The Strangers in the Ice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [attackfish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/attackfish/gifts).



> And so it begins...
> 
> I have the rest of this fic outlined, but it might take a while to produce the next couple of chapters. I'm not used to writing multi-chapter fics, so please have patience with me.

_Katara! Katara, come back_!

She can’t hear him over the howling winds and freezing rain that batter down on her. Can’t see him, either. Visions of charred flesh and blackened bodies cloud her mind, twisted and distorted into shapes that no person should conform to.

Little girls with paper lanterns in hand.

Novices and nuns clutching their staffs.

Kunzang surrounded by soldiers, her gentle face desecrated with burns, so many burns…

She failed. She _failed_.

The tears keep falling down her cheeks. Or is it the rain? She can't tell anymore.

The winds pick up. Lightning strikes. She’s lost hold of the reins. Appa’s falling, falling, falling…

_KATARA!!!_

They hit the water.

Appa groans and resurfaces, but the waves beat them down. She gasps for air and chokes. Water’s filling her lungs inordinately fast and she can’t breathe, she can’t breathe!

Darkness starts to close in. Her fingers are numb and her limbs are heavy. There’s nothing to be done for her, now.

_Sokka. Sokka, I’m so sorry. Save yourself. Don’t come after me._

This is Katara’s last thought as she surrenders herself to the sea.


End file.
